Omega Diagnostics says it expects to report a “small increase” in annual revenues with full-year results expected to be in line with market expectations.

The Alva-based medical diagnostics company said revenues for the year to March 31 are expected to be up three per cent year on year to £11.59 million (2013: £11.26 million).

Adjusted pre-tax profits are expected to be around the £1.1 million mark.

Second-half trading was “stronger” than the first six months, which has seen the company meet market forecasts prior to any contribution from its Visitect CD4 HIV testing kit.

Revenues from food intolerance test kits are expected to be up 18 per cent year ion year to £5.18 million, which has offset a five per cent dip in allergy/autoimmune revenues and a 10 per cent drop in revenues from infection disease test kits.

The company has also today provided an update on its Visitect CD4 HIV testing kit in which some manufacturing variants had been discovered in initial tests last year.

Following completion of the technology transfer announced in February, Omega said field tests currently being conducted in India and Kenya “are progressing well”, and the success of these initial studies “will lead to a roll-out of validation studies into other countries”.

Omega has scaled up its manufacturing facilities in Alva in preparation to meet expected demand for its CD4 testing kit, which the company says has “the potential to transform the way HIV is treated in developing countries”.

The company has also today provided an update on the progress of its 40-panel allergy menu to be launched on the IDS-iSYS (allergen testing) instrument, in which tests to date have “increased confidence in terms of commercialisation”.

Commenting on the trading update, Omega chief executive, Andrew Shepherd, said: "We are pleased with the overall performance of our core business leading to increased profitability significantly ahead of the growth in revenue.

“Food Intolerance in particular performed strongly in the second half of the year.

“Visitect CD4 tests are currently undergoing initial field validation studies in India and Kenya and early feedback confirms things have progressed well to date.

“In addition, our allergy programme with the IDS-iSYS instrument has continued to progress with more allergens completing the optimisation and claim support phases since the last update in February.”